The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Efforts have been made to develop alternatives to traditional orthotic devices, which tend to be uncomfortable and suitable only for specific persons or have limited uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,038,635 to Dellano teaches a forward head positioning corrective collar including an inflatable assembly. Dellano's inflatable assembly includes multiple inflatable units, each of which can be independently inflated by coupling a tube and bulb to the selected inflatable unit to target a specific vertebra.
Unfortunately, Dellano's collar suffers numerous disadvantages. For example, the pressure of the Dellano collar's inflatable member cannot readily be adjusted by a user while wearing the brace, the inflatable assembly is not suitable for use in any other orthotic device, and each inflatable unit is apparently independently inflated.
All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Some prior attempts to provide pneumatic solutions to overcome one or more of the disadvantages of traditional orthotic devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,151 to Nicoll, U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,111 to Blackstone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,144 to Cunanan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,662 to Heffez, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,002 to Kochamba. Unfortunately, these attempts each suffer from one or more similar disadvantages, including for example, a lack of ability to adjust a positioning of an apex of the inflatable member, and difficulty of use.
Thus, there is still a need for improved pneumatic orthosis.